1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for video special effects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a video special effects system, a user can generally set up a composite special effect to be applied to a video sequence by selecting a succession of effects modules from a large number of available modules. For example, a sequence (or xe2x80x9cdirected a cyclic graphxe2x80x9d) of effects set up by a user might comprise:
(i) image loader
(ii) motion tracker
(iii) lighting effect linked to motion tracking and image loader
(iv) image realignment linked to motion tracking and image loader
In some systems the composite special effect is set up using a graphical user interface on a computer screen or window, whereby screen icons representing individual effects modules are xe2x80x9cdraggedxe2x80x9d with a computer mouse from a xe2x80x9cpalettexe2x80x9d area on the screen to a xe2x80x9cgraphxe2x80x9d area on the screen. In the graph area, the icons can be linked together graphically (i.e. by graphical lines drawn on the computer screen) to create a flow-chart representation of the composite effect.
This invention provides video special effects apparatus comprising:
a plurality of video special effects processing modules;
a display screen;
a palette area on the display screen, the palette area displaying module screen icons representing video special effects processing modules;
a graph area on the display screen;
user-operable means for moving screen icons from the palette area to the graph area and for graphically linking the screen icons together to form a representation of a composite video special effects process; and
user-operable means for a group of selecting two or more linked screen icons displayed in the graph area and transferring the group to the palette area, the group being represented in the palette area as a composite process screen icon in the palette area.
The invention recognizes that a user may wish to create standard linked groups of effects operations, and to be able to store and retrieve them as a group for future use. The invention provides a convenient way for the user to do this, so that such a group can appear in the palette area as a single icon, even though that single icon represents several interlinked effects modules.